Despite a cold-shooting night, the Lakers pull out the victory in Game 2. Kevin Durant scored 32 points for OKC but missed a three-pointer with 7.9 seconds left.
Should Kevin Durant Have Gone For The Tie In Game 2 Of The Lakers-Thunder Series?
Let’s set the scene: the precocious Thunder had the ball, down by a deuce with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter of Game 2. After inbounding the ball, they found Kevin Durant off a down screen, who misfired on a semi-contested three-pointer over the outstretched arms of Ron Artest. Check out the play here. While the Thunder still had a chance to force overtime after Pau Gasol clanked one of his subsequent free throws, the question remains: did Kevin Durant make the right choice going for the win rather than for the tie?
The conventional wisdom among hoops cognoscenti is that you want to “extend the game” -- in other words, go for the higher percentage shot and play for the tie. But, as is oftentimes the case, the conventional wisdom is wrong; the higher percentage play isn’t necessarily the best choice at the end of the game. Let’s explain (warning: a very small amount of math involved).
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